Ep 126 | Freshly Organized with 2020 NAPO President and Professional Organizer Amy Tokos

Meet the Amy Tokos, 2020 President of NAPO, the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals.

Did you know that there is a national professional organization for Professional Organizers? If you follow our podcast, you know that KonMari Media Incorporated trains and accredits consultants in the method but there is also NAPO, the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals.

Amy Tokos is a Certified Professional Organizer and Productivity Consultant. She is also the President-elect of NAPO for 2020.

Amy’s background is in engineering and she previously worked making manufacturing processes simpler and more efficient. In 2008, she started her company, Freshly Organized, and began bringing the lean thinking to the homes and offices of her clients.

We want to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Ask Spark Joy” to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show.

While you’re there, sign-up to join our Spark Joy podcast community and get notified when each episode airs. You can also join the Spark Joy podcast community on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter at the handle @sparkjoypodcast.

Join The Spark Joy Club today!

In this episode, you’ll enjoy:

• Learning about the concept of Lean Management and its origins in the Japanese manufacturing community.

• How Amy transitioned from corporate management to home and business organizing.

• Her early organizational influencers and how she became involved with NAPO. National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals

• How Amy incorporates Lean management into her organizing style.

• The book, In Praise of Wasting Time.

• The importance of using technology to support our goals.

• Learn about NAPO and the benefits of the combined wisdom of thousands of organizers.

• How you can use the resources of NAPO to help your own organizing process.

Amy's favorite organizing tip:
“Hold an informal family meeting once a week. It’s a great way to catch up, make plans and to make sure there are no last-minute surprises.”

What sparks joy for Amy
"Today, I have tulips that are blooming in a pot on my dining room table."

Amy's parting words of Wisdom
"Keep in real. Relax, don't worry about living in staged environment."

To connect with Amy, visit her website at Freshly Organized and her Instagram: Freshly Organized.

Gems:

"People are overwhelmed by the stuff in their space and also stuff in their heads and their calendars."

"Lean is just basically minimizing processes and steps to gain efficiency."

"We are missing out on the benefits of just wasting time."

"Some of the things that are designed to simplfy our lives just add more complication."

You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home
You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of Tidy

Special Guest: Amy Tokos.